Volvo's S60 range is reportedly set to get a Polestar-developed V8-powered M3-fighter. This week, a new amateur rendering has surfaced online, offering one designer's idea of how the new hero car could look.

Working with the current R-Design model as a starting point, designer Nik Pakiz has given the S60 a beefier front bumper with larger intakes, along with a lower ride height and flared guards.

Driven by a version of the Yamaha V8 engine found in the XC90 SUV and delivering no less than 295kW, the enhanced S60 Polestar would bring Volvo closer to the M, AMG and Audi RS league.

The Yamaha V8 can be found in a variety of cars, from Volvo's own XC90 and S80 - where it produced a comparatively lazy 232kW - to the Noble M600 supercar, where two turbos help it on its way to 478kW.

Reports from Swedish website Teknikens Varld suggest that the new S60 variant will feature a sequential gearbox, sending power to a Haldex all-wheel drive system.

The new S60 Polestar will be a wilder beast, with a wider track and the pumped-up arches to accommodate bigger, fatter wheels and tyres.

Volvo's current Polestar-enhanced S60 is a little more tame, packing a modestly upgraded engine from the T6 R, good for 242kW, and a host of external and internal updgrades.

Polestar has already put a C30 on the track for the Swedish Touring Car Championship and their C30 Performance concept shown at the 2010 Gothenburg Motor Show had a 302kW motor powering a Haldex all-wheel drive setup.

Considering M3 is going turbo six and Mercedes is increasingly turbo V8, they may be lagging a little behind the Germans unless they are planning forced induction. Perhaps a more appropriate opposite number would be the lower variants of Audi RS cars, AWD etc. I dont know if I could see this Volvo matching it with the classic RWD tuetonic icons, not saying it wouldnt be good in its own right.